Living in the Rough
by Arius the Heretic
Summary: Set in the reboot version: After the events in Limbo City, Dante and Kat are now in hiding while battling it out with demons. Along the way they meet a mysterious woman who claims to be an ally. The story will split POVs, but will mostly center on my OC. Picture is not mine and also slow updates
1. Autobiography

**Hey there, I'm new to this fandom so go easy on me okay. I just recently finished the whole game series, and I gotta admit I fell in love with it. I wasn't really into the whole supernatural but after playing this game I guess I can make an exception. Out of all of them, I liked the newest version more because it was like an origin story of sorts and had a modern feel to it. Another reason why I liked the new version better was because of the interaction between Dante and Kat. I know she isn't necessarily his love interest, but somehow I ended up liking her more than I did Lady and Trish. Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against them it's just that those two were too Mary Sue for me. Anyways, I wanted to continue the story with my own version, but in order for me to do that I felt like there needs to be an instigator or some sort, hence my OC. So yeah, this chapter is more like an introduction of my OC and also most of the story line will be narrated by her and that the first few chapters will be about her. So yeah, hope you like it. The next chapter will be the start of the story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Devil May Cry**

 **Character Profile:**

 **Name:** Audrey

 **Full name:** Audrianna (No last name)

 **Age:** 24

 **Family:** Kat, (younger sister) Parents, (Deceased)

 **Species:** Human

 **Origins:** Wiccan

 **Abilities:** Empathy, Witchcraft, God's Vessel

 **Appearance:** Audrey is a girl who seems to be around six feet tall, but is actually just a few inches higher than Kat. She has a certain fondness for high-heeled boots and her usual attire consists of a white top, fur-rimmed jacket and tight fitting jeans. She has similar grey-green eyes as her sister, but her face is narrower and she has tribal markings around her eyes that are often mistaken for make-up. She also has the habit of dying her hair in different colors, but later dyes it back to its original color which is dark brown.

After the fifty year time skip, nothing much has changed from her appearance except she traded her jacket for a black form-fitting trench coat that only reaches her knees. Her hair is longer then, which she either ties into a ponytail or pins it back. She also wears a black cowl which often covers her face. An archaic sign is also inscribed on her chest which symbolizes her status as a God's Vessel. Whenever she uses the lightning form of her spear, her hair grows spiky and her eyes turn silver. If the god inside her takes over, tribal markings would appear on her face, arms and back.

 **Fighting Style:** As a witch, Audrey is capable of casting spells and creating potions, but prefers to be in the battlefield more. Back before Dante joined the Order, Audrey hid her abilities and acted as a sniper for the organization, meaning she has considerable accuracy. Her main weapon of choice is Lugh, a powerful weapon that appears and disappears in the same manner as Dante's Rebellion. The weapon can also take on different forms such as lightning that shoots out of Audrey's hands or materialize into a spear. As a human she's able to keep up with Dante and Vergil in terms of fighting and endurance which only enhances once the god, Cernunnos, takes over. She's usually very careful, but if certain situations call for it, she'll charge into the fray without any hesitation as her regenerative abilities are on par with the sons of Sparda.

 **Weapon:** Spear of Lugh, a legendary weapon that was held by a king of a distant past. It is said to be one of the Four Great Treasures that was brought by the People Who Came Before. Whoever wields it can harness the power of lightning and can strike down their enemies no matter how far their distance may be, and despite what others believe the spear have different forms:

 **Passive Form** – in its passive form the spear isn't seen at all and the only indication that it's there is the tribal markings that's on the bearer's forearms. In this form, the spear is more like lightning that shoots out of the bearer's hands and sometimes covers the whole body to either give protection or great speed. Lugh is also quite unique because unlike other weapons, it's equipped all the time. Meaning that whoever touches the bearer's skin will feel an electric shock which is why out of all the women in DmC, Audrey is the most conservative in her attire.

 **Aggressive Form** – in this form, Lugh materializes into an actual spear and is ten times more powerful than its passive form. It can stretch into any length the bearer desires and when thrown can hit their target with deadly accuracy. The spear can also give the bearer a huge boost in strength and endurance. The only downside to this though is that bearer will lose the speed and protection they once had in its passive form.

 **Personality:** As an Empath, Audrey seems like a very understanding girl as she can sense what other people are feeling. This often led to her being mistaken as a mind reader which she denies constantly. She's usually calm and collected, with a bit of a sarcastic streak, and only loses her cool if it's about her sister or Dante's ridiculous antics. She also has a lot of patience seeing as she's the vessel of a perverted god and the mediator of a rambunctious group. That doesn't stop her from threatening others to behave though and rarely shows her sadistic side unless she's seriously pissed off or that they may pose a danger to her family. Despite being able to discern the emotions of others, Audrey is quite apathetic to the world. Even if angels and demons are waging war, she'll stubbornly stand on neutral ground unless certain situations call for it.

 **Relationships:**

Kat – Audrey cherishes her sister very much, but because she's a god's vessel making her virtually immortal, she refrains from telling her the truth. Despite that, Audrey tries to spend as much time as she can with her because she knows that Kat's life is limited.

Dante – At first she didn't approve of his closeness with her sister and tried at one point to separate them. In her defense, she believed that those two will only get hurt in the long run as Dante isn't human. Being a Nephilim, Dante can also be considered immortal while Kat isn't. That dislike soon turned to grudging respect upon realizing that Dante is willing to go through hell and back just to be with her. Later on, her tolerance for the Nephilim turned to genuine friendship.

Vergil – When she first joined the Order she admired Vergil for abandoning his privileged life in pursuit of saving mankind. Her admiration soon turned to suspicion as she realized that his emotions weren't in tune with the goals of the Order. And even with her all her abilities as an Empath, Vergil was too secretive for her to crack. Eventually though, she ended up becoming disappointed in him as his real goal was to enslave mankind. She doesn't necessarily hate him, but acknowledges the fact that he needs to be put down.

Cernunnos – She first resented the god for making her the way she is, but acknowledges the fact that if it weren't for him she would've been dead ten times over now. So she accepts the god as part of her and developed a love-hate relationship with him. More often than not, Cernunnos treats her like a child and sometimes acts as a grandpa towards her. Although they might not see eye-to-eye, they work well together during fights.

 **History:**

Audrey's family came from a small community of Wiccans that was isolated from the rest of society. The Wiccans worshipped two gods, the Mother Goddess and the Horned God. On the day she was born, Audrey was chosen as the Vessel for the Horned God as her bloodline was unique and enabled her to host the Great Spirit. Since then, Audrey's life changed forever. Although she was well taken care of by the other wiccans in her community, she wasn't allowed to mingle with other children nor was she allowed to be out of their sights, virtually making her a prisoner.

A year later, her sister was conceived and it was announced that she'll also be a Vessel. Horrified, Audrey's parents decided to run away with their children as they did not want to lose another child. It didn't take long before they were found and as punishment, both parents were burned at the stake, leaving her and her infant sister orphans.

On the night that the Mother Goddess was supposed to possess the younger sister, an unknown force attacked the community and wiped out almost everyone there. Authorities arrived at the scene of the crime upon reports of unnatural noises coming from the forest outside the city. What they saw was a total massacre. Women and children weren't spared and the whole community was splattered with blood and broken bodies. Upon further investigation, they discovered the two sisters inside a hollowed tree that contained great power that protected the children from harm.

Having no one else to take care of them, the sisters were sent to an orphanage where they spent the next four years of their lives. It was also there that Audrey discovered her abilities as an Empath and added with the fact that she had an ancient god living inside her, Audrey's level of understanding was beyond that of a five year old. Because of this, Audrey was considered weird and was treated as an outcast,

Before long a man appeared and offered to adopt her sister. Sensing that the man wasn't human, Audrey tried everything in her power to stop him but failed and her sister was forcefully taken away from her. Having lost everything important to her, Audrey allowed the god to take over for the first time which caused her senses to enhance as well as her abilities. It was through this that Audrey learned that the orphanage was being run by demons and that they actually were selling children to other demons. With this in mind, Audrey murdered every demon inside the orphanage with the god's help and disappeared without a trace. After that, she spent the next twelve years of her life looking for her sister.

Somewhere along the way, she heard of rumors of an organization called "The Order". So having nothing else to do with her life, Audrey sought out them out and joined their ranks; it was also here that she met the leader Vergil. Although she respected his leadership skills, Audrey was suspicious of Vergil and decided to keep her abilities a secret and passed off as a regular human being. During her stay there, she worked as a hacker and an occasional sniper.

Half a year later, Kat was recruited into the Order, but seems to have no recollection of the past. That didn't matter to Audrey though as she had full intention to tell her their relation with each other, but forgot something very important. During a mission where they both got severely wounded, Audrey was brutally reminded of her immortality. As long as the god, Cernunnos, still resides inside her, Audrey can live up to thousands years and heal while Kat will grow older and die eventually. With this in mind, Audrey decided to keep her mouth shut and continued to watch over her.


	2. Prologue

**Prologue:**

Hey there,

My name's Audrey, short for Aurdrianna.

…and I'm a witch of sorts. I'm still human by the way, but let's just say that there's more to me than meets the eye. For example, I have the Sight. What is that, you ask? Well, to sum up it's an ability that enables people to see the world as it really is…and in my world it's filled with demons.

Like rats, they reside in the darkest and seediest places in the world, but in recent years they started becoming bolder. No longer are they lingering at the outer edges of human societies, but within them, integrating themselves and slowly poisoning it from the inside.

Don't believe me? Then look around you, look at the newspapers, the televisions, the internet, any social media will do…the world is messed up and it's not entirely humans fault. If you're wondering why nobody has noticed demons before, my guess is because of Limbo. And before you ask, I'm not talking about the spiritual plane where lost souls gather, but the artificial one. Basically, Limbo was created just for the sake of demons. It's like a parallel world where much like how demons wormed their way into our lives; it's firmly and intricately interwoven with our world. So, if anything happens to that place, it affects ours as well.

Here in our world, the _real_ world, demons can appear as humans, but in Limbo that's where their true forms are revealed. That's why to people without the Sight they sometimes treat demons as friends, lovers and teachers, without ever knowing that they're being fed on and tricked. The world is under the control of demons and humans don't even know it, except us.

But unfortunately, we're being hunted. People born with psychic abilities and the Sight are often taken from their homes and sent to mental institutions where they're being kept as prisoners. Not like being in human societies was better. People like us, especially the young ones who have no idea of what was going on are often labeled as freaks or the mentally insane. In the demons view though, we were considered a threat because we couldn't be controlled like regular humans. So, most of us either wind up dead or imprisoned in crack houses. I got lucky, but that doesn't mean I'm safe.

How do I know all this? Well…it's a long story. Speaking of long stories I'm about to tell you one. This one is about the lives of three people, particularly about two Nephilim brothers and another witch and how they all intertwined with one another and how I got mixed up with them. This story will be filled with hardship, betrayal and many, many tragedies…but it will also be filled with love and friendship. But before all that let me start at the very beginning, so without further ado…

This is my story, a story of how my life got dragged into one mess to another.


	3. Chapter 1: The Beginning

**Chapter One: The Beginning**

In the beginning, the earliest memory I had was the scent of pine trees and earth.

When I was a little girl I used to sneak out and wander through the forest for hours, doing nothing but stare at the nature around me. If I think hard enough, I could still feel the crackling of dried leaves under my feet and the warmth of scarce sunlight as they shone through canopy above. You may be wondering what a child is doing in the forest. Well, the answer is my parents. No, I wasn't left abused or abandoned, rather I lived here. Strange place to be, I know, but that's where we were safest.

We were Wiccans you see, one of the very few races of humans gifted with magic…and we were hiding. It's not just us; a whole bunch of other families joined us until we were practically a small community. The whole world viewed us as weird cultists living in the wilderness, but we were fine with that. It just meant that no outsider will come knocking on our doorstep. Did I mention that we also worshipped gods?

That's right you heard me, we worshipped gods, two in fact, the Mother Goddess and the Hunter God. The forest was their domain and since we were living in it, we had to give tribute.

And this is where my life started to go downhill.

In order to protect us from evil forces the gods needed a conduit from our world to theirs. It could've been anything like a tree or an altar; but no, they wanted something better. They wanted a vessel. A sacrificial lamb that was strong in both mind and body to withstand the awesome power of the gods…I was that person.

From the moment I was born, Cernunnos, the Hunter God, wanted me because I somehow fit the criteria he was looking for. So not even a week passed by that my infant form was put in a ceremony, a ceremony where the god assimilated itself within my body. And that's pretty much how my life began.

I was just a baby back then, so I didn't realize that there was a god inside me, nor did I understand the full implications of it. Just that, since I was little the adults did everything for me. They served me the best food, gave me the best clothing, and even built me my own house. I was practically a princess, but…there were a few drawbacks. For one thing, I was alienated from the rest of the kids. The adults forbade me from leaving the house, so I was stuck watching the other kids play from my window. The only time I was allowed outside was during certain festivals that the Wiccans celebrate which only came once or twice a year. So yeah, my life back then was pretty boring and lonely, but what could I say. I was just a toddler, so I just accepted everything as it was.

A year later, another event happened that kick-started my life.

The birth of my younger sister.

To be honest, I don't really know who my parents are. The community took turns taking care of me so the person serving me switched with another three times a day and at night I was left alone. So yeah, that kind of system prevented me from forming any attachments, but that didn't stop me from hearing things. I heard that a new baby was born, and just like me she was also chosen to be a Vessel. I was curious, but because I was under surveillance I wasn't able to see her.

One night though, I was suddenly wakened from my sleep. Opening my eyes I saw a man I didn't recognize. He spoke to me in a gentle voice, and somehow I knew he wouldn't hurt me. He carried me in his arms and for the first time in my life, I was brought out of the forest. Waiting for us outside was a woman with a baby in her arms and a car. Soon, we were cruising through the highway to gods-knows-where in the middle of the night. I didn't know what was going on or where we were going, but again I didn't care. I was seeing so many sights, but most of the time I felt scared. There were so many bright lights and loud noises that I got startled at each encounter, but every time that happened, the couple comforted me and I would start to feel safe again.

I didn't know how many days passed or how far we've gone, but it soon came to an end. The other Wiccans tracked us down and found us. They busted through the doors of the motel room we were staying at and beat up the man while the woman was crying and screaming at them to stop. Soon they dragged the kind man and woman away and I was brought back to the forest along with the baby girl. I never saw them again, and it was only years later that I realized that those two were actually my parents.

A week passed by and another ceremony took place, this time for the baby girl. Katherine was her name, and also my sister. I was told that if everything went well, she would be living with me and for the first time in my life I was kinda happy. That meant I won't have to be alone again. So that night everything was set. All that was left was for the Goddess to appear and take over my sister. It was supposed to be a joyous event, but for me that was when everything started to change. I didn't know how I knew, just that I sensed it. It's hard to describe it; just that there was this certain wrongness in the air and it was getting worse with each passing second. I didn't know what it was until it finally happened.

We were all gathered in the clearing; the adults had formed a circle and were chanting in a language I didn't quite understand. Katherine was inside a small cot, right in the center of the circle. Candles and incense were burning and ancient scriptures drawn on the floor. And lastly, the sky was so clear, so devoid of anything except for the stars and the moon. This night could've been beautiful if it wasn't for the fact that they were condemning another girl.

Soon, a hush fell over the people. I looked up and that's when I saw it. It was a glowing life form of some sort. Turning this way and that, like smoke with a mind of its own. The moment it appeared, something inside me just woke. I felt my body grow warmer and my heartbeat faster. I knew instinctively then that, that smoke was the Goddess. It circled around us first, and then it flew over to my sister. I didn't know what it was gonna do. It just laid there, suspended in the air as though it was contemplating something. After a few seconds, it seemed to make up its mind as the smoke started to descend, but before it could fully envelope the baby…

" _Look at what we have here."_ That voice sent chills down my spine and would haunt my dreams for years to come. Turning, I saw what I could only describe as a monster. It was big and black. It hung between the trees like a huge spider with limbs as long and thick as the tree trunks he was holding on to. Its head was humanoid in shape, but had one, big red eye set in its forehead and its mouth looked as though it was slashed open with a razor sharp teeth poking out. Every time it spoke green sludge would seep out and land on the ground with a loud hiss. _"So this is where you insects were hiding."_ It said. _"Lord Mundus will be pleased once I get rid of you."_

"H-How did you get pass the barriers?" one of the adult said, and for some reason even though he didn't look like it, I could feel his fear. Heck that was the only thing I could feel at the moment. Cold, paralyzing fear. I didn't understand what was going on and I was so confused. Just who was this monster and what was it doing here? Just as I was wondering this the screaming started. The monster had reared its head back and spat out the gunk from inside his mouth. It landed on one of the adults and whatever it was; it must've been acid because as soon as it touched his skin, smoke rose and blisters formed everywhere. The adult screamed so much that somewhere along the way his heart stopped. The moment he fell chaos started.

Everyone was panicking then. They ran to who-knows-where and knocked me down in the process. The adults, the ones who knew how to use magic stayed behind to fight the thing, and just when we thought we had a chance more of those monsters came. They appeared out of nowhere, humanoid figures with rusted chainsaws and blades for limbs. Their metallic body creaked with every move they made and slashed at anyone in their way. What was worse, the forest was taking on an orange tint. Cracks started appearing on the ground, the sky and the trees. The forest was slowly changing into some sort of hell.

I was snapped out of my thought when I heard a cry. Turning, I saw that Katherine was still in the circle, abandoned. Standing up on shaking legs, I ran to where she was. Katherine was bawling her eyes out, probably just as scared and confused as I was. The monsters hadn't noticed me yet, so I grabbed Katherine and ran. There was tree here somewhere that everyone seemed to worship. It was really old, but I think it held some magical properties. My teacher once told me that most of our charms were made from its wood. We could be safe there.

The run to the tree felt like the longest run I ever had. There was blood and mayhem everywhere. People screamed, both from terror and pain as they tried to outrun the monsters or got cut down trying. Mothers and fathers tried to protect their children, only to fail and leaving them to fend for themselves. People who fought back were easily outnumbered and were tortured before they could die. I was crying then. Everyone was dying right in front of me and I didn't know what to do except run. And among the chaos, there was only one word that I kept hearing, a word that would ingrain itself into my very being and dictate my whole perspective to the world: Demons.

After what felt like hours, I finally made it to the tree. A rope was tied around its trunk and a paper charm was attached to it. Thankfully, the area was free from the orange tint that covered the whole forest. So without hesitation I pulled the rope up and wedged myself into the hollow part of the tree. Putting Katherine down for a moment, I pulled some loose shrubs and roots over the opening until it couldn't be seen anymore. Once that was done, I held Katherine close. She was still crying and I tried everything I could to calm her down, but it wasn't like I was any better. My whole body was shaking from both adrenaline and fear. I didn't know how long I stayed like that. Only that I remember being in the cold and dark while everyone was being killed. Their screams just seemed to go on forever and I heard things I wished I never heard at all. I was scared and vulnerable, but Katherine even more so.

I clutched at her desperately like she was my anchor. I felt that if I didn't, I would've gone insane with fear. Her constant whimpers snapped me out of it though. Looking down I felt like I was seeing her for the very first time. She was a small thing, barely big enough to be the size of the dolls I played with, but it was her eyes that reminded me that she was human. A living, breathing, human being and she was all I had left. She was my sister and I swore on this night of carnage that I would protect her.

It was sometime later, that Katherine finally calmed down and fell asleep. The noises outside had died down and the only things I could hear were the wind and the rustling of leaves. But still I didn't dare move or check outside. For the whole night I stayed vigilant. I was scared that the monsters would come back, scared that they would find me and my sister and finish the job. I refused to sleep. Somewhere along the way, I knew that something inside me broke, like I lost something important. This was my first encounter of demons, and this night would forever haunt me.

Hours, later, I hear a twig crack. I flinched at the sound, but that was a mistake on my part. Katherine woke up and started crying. I panicked, I didn't know what to do and soon, I could hear that whatever was out there heard it too. I tried shushing her, but that didn't work, then I remembered what the other mothers did to calm their children, so I did that. Slowly, gently, I rocked back and forth, telling Katherine to be quiet in soft voice. It seemed to work, but I wasn't fast enough. Whatever was out there knew where we were and I could hear the tell-tale signs of someone approaching. There was no escape. So with nowhere else to go, I decided to curl up with Katherine in my arms and waited for the inevitable. I didn't have to wait long as sunlight seeped in and I couldn't help but scream.

"Whoa! Look, we have a survivor!"

Startled, I opened my eyes and saw a man's face instead of a monster. A second later, another face poked through and peered at me. "Thank god." The other man said. "Are you alright Miss?"

At first, I didn't know how to answer, I was too stunned. Seeing my dazed expression, the first guy shook his head. "The girl is probably in shock. Let's take her to the hospital."

"Good idea." The other said and together, they hoisted me out. Once they saw Katherine, the men seemed to relax further. "You two are very lucky." The first man said to me. "We're gonna take you somewhere safe, okay."

I nodded, not really trusting myself to speak and followed them out. One of the men offered to carry Katherine, but I refused, instead I held her tighter. Now in the sunlight I could see the destruction that my village faced. The huts and tents that we lived in were ripped apart and smashed to pieces and there was blood everywhere. But only one thing caught my attention the most. It was the prone bodies of the people that I lived with lying on the ground. Sheets covered their faces, but I knew that they were dead. I almost wanted to puke. Someone, I didn't know who, had put their hand on my shoulder and gently led me away, but the damage was done. There was no way I could ever forget this night now.

It would be years before I come back to this place, but by then I'll have become a different person. What I didn't realize though, was that somewhere out there, two more boys were going to suffering the same fate…

A few weeks later, Katherine and I were put inside an orphanage called "Our Lady of Sorrows". It was an old building with creaky staircases and loose floorboards. On my first night here, I could've sworn that the whole building groaned and shifted whenever a strong wind blew by. The kids there were noisy and chaotic, but they were nice…at first. Let's just say that after a few months they started to fear me. It was gradual and I never really noticed until I started to take note of the little things. The first was my growth spurt. Records say that I was only 2 years old, but if you take a look at me you would think that I was actually 5 or 6. There was also the matter of my intelligence. The teachers that the orphanage hired were impressed at how quick I managed to learn things and even gave me a test once and discovered that my IQ was higher than normal. This, of course, caught the attention of the other kids, leading them to isolate me. It was a bit unfair, but thinking about it I realized why.

Usually, kids with extraordinary talents are always the first to be adopted, and seeing that I was one of them it wouldn't be long before it happened…but this was where the third factor came along. I don't remember when it started, but somehow, I could feel certain emotions that I knew weren't mine. For example, I could feel the jealousy and hate that the other kids felt towards me as if it was my own. There was also the admiration coming from my teachers as they praised me for doing well in class. It was very confusing for me back then. I didn't know what was going on and most of the time I felt like a different person. What was worse was that I could also feel the pain of others. Whenever someone got hurt or sick, I too was affected, almost as if I was the one hurting instead of them. I lost count of the times where I would suddenly scream in pain as I felt a bone fracture or a piece of skin torn even though no such wounds were visible on me. Most of these "episodes" occurred when there were a lot of kids around, and so because of this I was labeled a freak, or worse.

It did come in handy sometimes. Like that time when I was put in an interview with potential parents. The couple was nice, especially the woman. She seemed to genuinely want me and I would have gladly accepted if it weren't for her husband. There was just something off with him. His smile was pleasant and his actions were normal, but his whole presence made me uneasy. When he went to shake my hand I reacted violently and ran out of the room as quickly as possible.

It would be years before I find out what the term pedophile meant, but until then this "power" or whatever you call it, kept me safe from people like that man before…which, unfortunately consisted of every potential parent I met. Every time those interviews were over I end with an icky feeling that leaves me wanting a long hot bath. But there was another reason why I didn't want to get adopted, and that reason was Katherine. I didn't want to leave her behind, so every time potential parents came I always brought Katherine with me. Once they see her they almost always back out saying that they couldn't afford to take care of two children.

So yeah, that's how my life in the orphanage was like. For the next three years, I spent my time reading books and taking care of Katherine. The other kids didn't bother me much, which was just fine. I had a reputation as the abnormal girl who could read minds and stuff, which was totally untrue. I could sense emotion yes, but reading minds no.

That all changed when that man came…

His name was Mr. Blagden, a tall man wearing a black trench coat with a matching hat. He just appeared one day carrying with him that large suitcase and a big smile on his face. The nuns were pleased to see him and the other kids were quickly taken with him, but I wasn't. Just like with the prospective parents, this man seemed off. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I knew that something about this guy was definitely wrong. Then when this guy approached me I was suddenly gripped in this paralyzing fear. It took all my effort just too smile and say hello before I ran out of there. Okay, I admit it, I was afraid of him, for what reasons I didn't know, only that I knew that this man was in a different league compared to the others. He kept coming to the orphanage after that. Almost every week and whenever that happens I would take Katherine and get the hell away from him.

It was on the eight week of his visit that I concluded that he wasn't human. It happened in the morning, I was staying in the library, teaching Katherine some new words and I just so happen to look out the window. Mr. Blagden was outside in the gardens with the nuns. The weather was warm back then, but even so he still wore that heavy trench coat of his. He seemed to be having a fun conversation with the nuns as they laughed at something that he said. When I saw that I couldn't help but frown. It was unfair how I was the only one who felt like this. How could they not see the malice coming off from him? Or maybe I really am a freak like those kids say?

Either way, I was about to look away when I saw it. There was a flash of something red and when I directed my gaze at the man I felt my heart stop. His eyes were red, and I mean really red, no pupils or irises, just red and blood dripping down his face. But as quickly as it came, the image was gone, replaced by that dapper smile he usually wore. I wasn't sure if I was seeing things, but over the next few weeks I started to observe him more. It was challenging, but over the course of the next few weeks, I managed to see that same bloodied image time and time again. It was also during that time that I discovered changes within the orphanage. It was still rundown, but the moods of everyone shifted, especially the nuns. Before, they all had somber looks on their faces but now they were all smiles…it was creepy.

On the third month that he came to visit, he wasn't alone. Two men were with him and just like him I felt nothing but malice. It was almost suffocating being in the same room as them. The reason why they were there was that they wanted to adopt, and they did. Two kids, a boy and a girl, whom I barely knew, were whisked away to god-knows-where. It didn't end there. Over the next few months, Mr. Blagden would come by with prospective parents in tow and each time another was taken. I started to get scared then. Kids were being adopted at an alarming rate, I was afraid that either I or Katherine would be next. So I did everything I could to prevent that from happening. Thing is though, I couldn't protect her all the time.

They caught me off guard. The nuns had sent me to one of my lessons even though I didn't need it and while I was away, Mr. Blagden came. I didn't know what was going on until I felt it. I felt Katherine's fear, so without a second thought, I ran out of the classroom mid-lesson and went all the way to where my sister was. I ended up in the head nun's office and was just in time to see Mr. Blagden hand over a fat load of cash to the head nun. Another man was there, one I didn't recognize and he had his hand wrapped around Katherine's arm. It didn't take a genius to find out what happened so I went over there and slapped his hands away and held Katherine close. She clung to me in turn and I didn't even need to use my power to tell just how frightened she was.

"What are you doing!?" I demanded.

"Audrey, calm down." The head nun said. Her voice was gentle, but the vibe I was getting from her was different. "That gentleman over there has offered to adopt your sister."

"And you were gonna let him without telling me!" I was furious. I realized that they tricked me. They wanted me away so that they could sell her without my interference.

"We were going to inform you." She reasoned. _Yeah right_ , I thought. There's no way I was gonna stand here and listen to their lies so I ran with Katherine in tow. I just wanted to get out of that place so when I saw the front entrance I felt hope and made a mad dash for it. Before we could make it Katherine was snatched from behind. Turning back I saw that one of the more agile nuns had grabbed Katherine and held her in her arms while my sister tried to break free. I tried to help, but two more nuns came and held me back. By then the head nun, Mr. Blagden and the other man had come down to see us struggling. I didn't bother to listen what they were saying as my main focus was on Katherine. So I didn't notice the man breaking away from the trio until he had Katherine in his arms.

"Don't worry; I'll take good care of her." he said.

The moment that guy smiled I saw his true face. He was a monster, just like Mr. Blagden and just as I was about to point it out, I saw something else that made my skin crawl. It wasn't just him. The sisters, the head nun and Mr. Blagden, all of them had the same red eyes, the same blood dripping down their faces. And then I knew where I felt this malice before. It was the same as the monster that attacked us in the forest. These people were demons.

Just as quickly as I realized that, the man had quickly snatched Katherine away. Her loud cries bringing me out of the horror I felt and I renewed my struggles, but it was too late. The door slammed shut and that was the last time I saw her. I couldn't even describe what I felt at the moment. Heck, that was the first time I ever felt something so strongly before. I just felt so…empty, so much so that it hurt. I couldn't even tell if I was gonna cry or not. I just stood there; limp, with my eyes still glued on the door.

"You've been quite troublesome lately." The head nun said her face back to normal. "It's a shame, but that's life. You'll probably never see her again, but rest assured that she'll be well taken care of. As for you, because of your recent behavior no one wants to adopt you. But not too worry, I'm sure Mr. Blagden will find you a suitable guardian. Until then you'll be taught proper manners."

After she finished speaking, the nuns that were holding me down brought me up and dragged me away. Through the halls and up the stairs, we reached the top floor. They opened the only door there and shoved me inside. I tripped and fell as the door closed behind me and I stayed like that until night fell and darkness consumed the room.

It was at that moment I realized something.

Monsters are real.

They didn't just live in nightmares or fairytales, but in real life. I could see them and as long as I can see them I knew that I could never be normal. The life that I lived up until now was just an illusion. It will never be peaceful…but what I really resented the most was that I couldn't do anything about it. I was just a kid, no one would believe me and even if I did I doubted that I could do much, after all I'm just human. That thought made me angry. So much so that all sorrow and helplessness I felt was replaced by this all-consuming rage. I was angry at the nuns, at Mr. Blagden, but most of all I was angry at myself for being so weak. I wanted to change. I wanted to become someone strong enough to overcome these monsters and protect what mattered most to me. I wanted power.

The moment that thought crossed my mind I felt something snapped inside me. It felt like a dam was broken and a torrent was rushing in and I gasped at the sensation. It didn't hurt, but it was strange all the same and I sat up to examine myself. My body had gotten warmer and I held my head in my hands as I started to feel something stir within me.

 _Do you want power?_

It was a deep voice and I jumped when I heard it. I looked around, but was sure that I was alone. Turning, I ended up facing a dusty old mirror and gasped at what I saw. It was me, but at the same time not. She had the same face as me, but she didn't copy my movements. Not to mention her eyes were silver where areas mine was gray-green.

 _Do you want power?_ It repeated and this time I realized the voice was coming from my head.

"Who are you?" I asked and my reflection smiled.

 _I am called Cernunnos._ This time I realized the voice was male. _I've been sleeping inside you for years, Audrianna, and it's only now that you chose to wake me. I have sensed your anger and your desire for power. We share a similar hatred towards those demons. Tell me…how far are you willing to go for revenge?_

"Anything." I said without hesitation.

 _Even at the cost of your own life?_

"I don't care." I said almost desperately. "I don't want to die without doing anything at all."

 _Good answer, but I must warn you, there are consequences. The moment I share my power, there will be no going back."_

"Like I said, I don't care."

The moment those words left my mouth, I felt something in my head rear itself over and shoved me to the back. It was strange, having no control over my body that is. It was like watching T.V. I watched as the god flexed my hands and stood up, making its way to the door and ripping it off its hinges. I watched as he-with my body-descended down the stairs and started slaughtering everyone. I should've felt horrified, disgusted even, but I didn't. Instead I felt satisfaction. I wasn't the one doing this though. I knew it wasn't. It was the other guy, Cernunnos. He had full control over my body as he went after the nuns, but…it was still my hands that blood was being stained on. But that was okay. With Cernunnos help, I could see what they truly are, and I didn't feel guilty in the slightest.

Once I gained full control over my body I found myself surrounded by bodies. My hands were shaking and my breathing was labored, but I was numb to it all. Looking around I saw that the whole orphanage was trashed. Walking around, I saw more dead bodies and splattered blood and limbs. The only good thing in this entire situation was that there were no more kids here, all of them being sold to other demons. I was the only one left. So with purposeful steps, I walked down the hallway and reached the door. I opened it and walked out of that accursed place and never looked back.

So there you go, that's how my life of pain began. It's not a pretty beginning I know, but if you think that's messed up wait till you hear the rest.


	4. Chapter 2: The Order

**Chapter Two: The Order**

Twelve years…

Twelve fucking years spent wandering from place to place and I am this close to losing my sanity. Turns out, the consequences that Old Horney – as I like to call the guy inside my head – mentioned was a permanent residence inside my head. It would've been fine, _really,_ if only this guy hadn't turned out to be such a pervert. Every time a woman wearing vaguely provocative attire appear, this guy would start hooting and make comments that'll make me blush. Heck, even when I try something modern, like use a cellphone or watch TV this guy won't stop asking questions. I can't even shut him out since we share the same body.

For an ancient being he sure tries my patience. Worst part is, I can't even tell him off without making a fool out of myself. Some asshole got the wrong idea so I ended up in the asylum because of him. Fat load of good that did to me, my entire stay there was hell. So much so, that I couldn't decide whether to kill myself or burn the whole place down. But even so, something good did happen to me there. For starters, that's where I first found out about the Order.

It was really by accident. The TV was on when I walked by and that was when I saw him, the masked man with the distorted voice. Normally, I would've ignored those terrorist stories, but this time it was different. I knew from the moment he started talking that this guy was different from the other attention-seekers on the net. He spoke of things, things that made sense and things that exactly describe the world we live in. So even though I was still skeptical, it made me wonder…could this man see the same things as I did?

I decided at that moment to break out and ask the man myself.

That plan was put on hold though when a new person arrived at the mental institution. A guy named Zack. He was a violent guy and I didn't want to be near him. Heck, he was literally screaming bloody murder when he first came here and had to be sedated. I would have dismissed him as another lunatic if he hadn't said the d-word.

"You fucking demons! You think you can control me!?" he shouted. He caused quite a scene back then, enough to at least garner a minor audience. I was one of them and once I heard the word demons I stopped to listen. "You think you can keep me as one of your lab rats, huh!? You guys – you guys…" his words became gibberish after that as the drugs took hold. Everyone had left once the show was over, except for me. I was too curious about him then. Don't get me wrong, just because he said the d-word doesn't mean I'll automatically think he's just like me, but the fact that almost all of the staff here _were_ demons made me think. It was the whole reason why it took me so long to break out in the first place. Cernunnos warned me to never reveal my abilities especially my Sight.

Those with psychic abilities were always targeted and unless I wanted to be one of them I had to keep a low profile. It was hard pretending to be a regular human, especially when they had to touch me during examinations and feed me my medicine. So when this guy came I saw an opportunity.

That night, I waited until the lights went out. Once I made sure that all nearby presence was asleep, I took out the bobby pins I hid under my mattress and unlocked the door. Getting out, I closed the door behind me and made my way to where the new guy was. Thankfully, nobody was patrolling the hallways much and even if they were I could easily sense them with my other ability. Finally, I made it to the isolation rooms the place where they keep the crazier patients. Earlier I secretly followed the orderlies as they dragged him away, so I knew which room he was being kept.

The doors here though were sealed by an electronic lock and can only be opened with a key card, something which I didn't have. But that was fine; I only needed to talk to him. As quietly as I could, I opened the slot in the door and peeked in. The room was, as expected, dark, but the moonlight coming from the barred window gave me enough light to see the padded walls and floor. On the far side of the room I could see a hunched figure with his arms tied in a straight jacket.

"Hey," I whispered. I didn't dare try to heighten my voice in fear of getting caught. "Psst! Over here!" at my second call the figure twitched and looked up. Seeing me, the guy blinked in surprise.

"Who are you?" he said, his voice gruff.

"Come here." I said, beckoning him over. The guy complied, though with some difficulty seeing as his hands were bound. Once he stumbled over, I could see his face clearly. He was in his mid-twenties, sandy blond hair and bloodshot eyes. Stubble was also forming on his chin and all in all he looked gaunt.

"My name is Audrey." I said. Long ago, I decided that my real name was too long and decided to cut it short. "I'm a patient here too. I heard you screaming earlier, something about demons?"

"Ah that…" he grimaced. "Listen kid, forget it. That was just some crazy talk. I wasn't in the right mind then."

"No, I understand." I insisted. "I can see them too." He looked at me strangely then, "What? You mean demons?" he asked. I nodded, but then he scoffed. "Kid, I think we have very different views on demons." With that, he started to walk away. I felt irritation grew as the guy clearly thought I was crazy.

"No I don't!" I said stopping him in his tracks. "I see them for what they are. All the staff here are demons! Their eyes turn red and blood drip down their faces and what's worse the security cameras here also transform into these living things!" I was ranting, I know, but I had to get this guy's attention. "And I know that there's a powerful demon called Mundus." That did the trick because soon the guy turned towards me sharply.

"How do you know that name?" he demanded. Even though he was the one in lock-up I still felt scared at the piercing gaze he directed towards me, but I still managed to answer, "The demon that killed my parents said that name before he went on and destroyed my home."

"I'm sorry." He said. His expression changed then and I could tell that he truly meant it. "It seems that you really can see demons. Is that why you're here?"

"No, they don't know that I can See." I shook my head.

"Good." He said. "Don't ever let them, because if they do they would've done worse than just lock you up."

"Why are you here though?" I asked. "You don't seem the type to openly rave about demons. So how did you get caught?" the guy hesitated for a moment. Seemingly trying to decide whether or not to tell but eventually he did. "It's because I'm part of this group." he explained. "Not many people know of us yet, but we're fighting demons in secret."

"You mean the Order?"

"How did you know that?" he demanded.

"You guys are all over the news; it's not that hard to miss." I said.

"Funny, because most people would think that we're just a bunch of terrorists." he said.

"Well I'm not most people." I said, matter-of-fact. The guy laughed a bit, but it was more of a huff of air. "What it's to you?" he countered. "I doubt you just came here for a friendly chat."

"Your right, I didn't." I admitted. "What if I told you I found a way out of this place?" that certainly caught the guy's attention. He looked at me interest then, but it soon turned to suspicion. "What's in it for you?" he asked.

"I want to join your group." I said without hesitation.

"What?" he said in disbelief. "Look kid, I appreciate the offer, but I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because it's dangerous." He said. "Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I'm not about to drag a kid into this."

"Oh, please." I scoffed. "I've been in tons of dangerous situations before, this doesn't make any difference."

"That's not it kid." He said. "What we're doing, we're not just causing mayhem. We're waging war. People will get hurt, heck; some of my friends have already been killed. I don't want you to end up the same."

"I understand perfectly." I said, hotly. "You think that I didn't spend the last 12 years of my life without even knowing that?! Just how stupid do think I am? I know that there are things out there…things that ordinary people can only imagine, and I am sick of it. I just want to be in a place where I don't have to constantly look over my shoulder." The guy didn't say anything at first. He looked as though he was seriously contemplating it before he shook his head. "Sorry kid, it's not my decision to make." He said before walking away.

"Wait, please." I said, desperately, before he could go any further. "I don't have anywhere else to go." And I meant it. After twelve years, I finally gave up on finding my sister. The orphanage that I grew up in didn't keep records, so I didn't know who took my sister. Blagden was also gone without a trace, probably under a different name even. So I decided to go to different orphanages that were similar to the one I lived in before. I was hoping that Blagden was still in the business of selling children and that he would turn up sooner or later, but no such luck. The only thing I found was more demons and traumatized children. I let Cernunnos deal with all the demons while I called the cops right after, whatever happened to kids weren't my business anymore. The thought that my sister is dead had crossed my mind several times before and each time had left me depressed and scared. Alive or not, I was still so very alone.

I didn't know what kind of expression I was making, but something in my face must've changed his mind because soon he sighed in resignation. "Alright," he relented. "I'll ask my boss."

"Thank you." I said, relief washing over me.

"Thank me when we get out." He said gruffly. "The name's Zack by the way."

"It's nice to meet you." I said a small smile on my face. "I'll come back tomorrow night."

The next day, I snuck into the security office to steal a spare key card. Normally, this would've been difficult but since most of the patients here were on the loose end none of the staff took us seriously. The security was pretty lax, so the only thing I needed to look out for was the security cameras stationed on the walls, which I already knew how to bypass. Once night fell, I went back to Zack's cell and unlocked the door.

"I'm surprised," He said as he rubbed his arms after I helped him out of his straight jacket. "Didn't think you could actually do it."

"This isn't my first break out." I said, tossing the straight jacket back into the cell. "Now come on, the guard will be here any second."

Sneaking around was relatively easier with a power like mine. Sensing other people's presence before they even arrived was definitely helpful and probably the only good thing I got out of this power. However with another person next to me, I was afraid Zack would get suspicious. Thankfully he didn't ask any questions; just the one of how we were gonna get out. The answer to that was the trash chute. He made a face at me when I told him, but reluctantly agreed when he found out it would lead outside. So we snuck into the nearest trash chute we could find and slid down the slimy walls until we landed on the dumpster. It stank like hell, but we were free.

The first thing we did once we were back on the streets was raid a clothing store, because let's face it, we stank and covered in muck. Not to mention that the clothes that the mental institute provided for us would draw attention. Once we done changing and stolen all the money there we went to Zack's old hideout to get his stuff. He insisted that we had to get them no matter what, so I had to go along with it. His hideout was really just some rundown tenement building with a sleazy landlord and even shadier tenants. Once that was done, Zack lead me to the back door of the building and we ended up in an alley. Kneeling down, Zack shoved most of the trash away to reveal a manhole underneath. Shoving his hands into the handles, he grunted as he lifted the lid and set it aside. Once he did a revolting smell came wafting out and I almost puked, which was ironic since I just slid down a garbage chute earlier. Anyways, Zack said that the sewers would lead outside the city so even though I didn't want to, I trusted him.

We spent several hours inside those sewers, but thankfully we made it outside without incident. We were close to the town's borders, but we needed a car so we went looking for one. It took us five blocks to find a decent one, but by then everything started to go wrong. Zack had just finished hot-wiring the car when we heard them: The mad, cackling laughter and the sounds of engines roaring down the street. Zack cursed under his breath and ordered me to get in. Once we were both inside Zack started the car and drove off with our pursuers' right behind us. I chanced a look behind and saw that the ones after us were the staff from the asylum.

"Dammit! Those demons are right behind us." I said.

"Oh no, kid. Those aren't demons." Zack said, his grip tight on the steering wheel. "Those are Spotters, humans that sold their souls to the devil. Their main job is to look for people like us and have us imprisoned for god knows how long."

"Then how come they have bloody eyes?"

"It just means that they're turning into demons themselves."

"Wait, that can happen?" I asked, surprised, despite the situation we're in.

"Yep." Zack said, his face grim as he concentrated on the road. "Demon's blood is more addictive than regular drugs, which is what they usually use to gain human followers. One sip is all it takes."

After he said that, I flashed back to the time when I was still at the orphanage and remembered that the nuns didn't start showing those signs until Blagden came. That meant they were still human before he arrived and started to influence them to his side. That probably also meant that they were still slightly human when I – or was it Cernunnos – killed them. I didn't know how to feel about that, but before I could dwell any further a honking noise and a sudden blinding light broke me out of my thoughts.

"Look out!" I shouted as a massive truck came speeding towards our right.

"Shit!" Zack cursed as he quickly shifted gears and tried to outrun the possible crash. We barely made it, but we still got snagged at the back. Righting myself after that bump, I looked over and saw that the back fender of the car was banged up pretty good and was barely hanging on.

"Everything alright back there?"

"The truck nicked us from behind, but we're still good." I said, but later realized that I spoke too soon as shots were fired. "Shit!" I cursed as one almost hit me. "They're shooting at us!"

"Hold on kid!" Zack said turning sharply at an intersection. The car tilted for a sec, before swinging from side to side until it finally righted itself. The sounds of gunshots were still there so I ducked down so as not to get hit. Unfortunately, Zack couldn't do the same so he was forced to drive the car in a zigzag pattern. It worked, but I couldn't say the same for my stomach as the sudden movements made me want to hurl. At the same time, I felt useless. Glancing at Zack's hip, I saw the gun tucked in his pants and for a moment I thought of grabbing it and start shooting at the guys chasing us. Thing is, I've never held a gun in my life, and even if I did I wasn't confident enough that I could shoot the target. What's worse, Cernunnos wasn't responding to any of my calls. It was like he wasn't even there, I could feel him alright, but his presence was faint at best. Without his help, I felt like I was back in that orphanage, small and helpless. I hated it.

The chase went on for a few more seconds, before a van came out of nowhere and crashed right into us. The car tumbled off the side of the road with metal crunching and glass breaking as it went. Fortunately, I was wearing a seat belt; otherwise I would've been thrown head first through the windshield. Not that it did any good though. The ride was still rough seeing as the car actually rolled unto its back a couple of times before it finally stopped. Groaning, I took the seat belt off as I tried to get my bearings, which was difficult seeing as the whole world was upside down since the car landed on its back. Beside me, I could hear Zack cursing, but I could care less at the moment. My whole body hurt and I could feel something wet dripping down my face. When I checked what it was, it was blood. Some glass must've nicked my face during the fall. Either way, this was a new experience for me. Don't take me wrong, but it's been awhile since I last felt pain that was actually my own. I was brought out of my thoughts then when I heard the screeching of tires and manic laughter.

"We need to go." I said urgently. From the looks of it, our pursuers were still far off, but I didn't want to risk it. Easier said than done, considering that the door was jammed and I couldn't go out that way. So I had to break the glass with my elbow and crawled my way out. The shards cut me on the way, but I didn't care as I limped my way to Zack's side. Thankfully his door wasn't jammed so I had no trouble opening it, but when I tried to help him he cried out.

"What's wrong?" I asked, concerned as his pain override mine.

"My leg," he said through gritted teeth. "I think it's broken."

"Shit." I couldn't help saying as our pursuers were very close. Gods, knows what they'll do to us.

"Come on," I said as I gently tried to get him out. Zack winced, but he didn't cry out and together we limped away from the crash site. The buildings were sparse then, but thankfully I saw a gas station up ahead and we headed for that. By the time we managed to reach it, I could hear the cars of our pursuers screeching to a stop. Looking back I was just in time to see one of them pull out a huge flashlight and ducked down when beam flew by in my direction. Once it was clear, I picked up a random rock and threw it a window and once a substantial hole was made I poked my arm through and opened the window fully. Thankfully there weren't any alarms rigged near the windows so I was able to sneak inside with Zack in tow. Once I laid him in a corner, that's when I took in the full extent of his injuries. Bruises and cuts littered his face and arms, but the real danger was the huge gash on his left thigh. It was bleeding so much that a small pool of blood actually formed underneath his leg. In the dim light, I could see Zack's pale face and hear his ragged breathing.

"Hold on, I'll get some bandages." I said. We were in the small convenience store that was right next to the station so there was bound to be some medical stuff here. So leaving Zack for a moment, I rummaged through the store until I got everything I needed and went back. Zack had steadied his breathing then, but his face was still twisted in pain. I got to work immediately as I ripped his pant leg off and started to put pressure on the wound. But the bleeding wouldn't stop. I began to worry that neither of us was going to make it. My thoughts were interrupted when I felt a hand on my face. Looking down I saw that Zack was staring right at me.

"You're not like us, are you?" he questioned. At first I didn't understand what he meant until I realized that the gash on my forehead was completely healed. A perk to being a God's Vessel was that any injury I sustained would be instantly healed. I panicked for a moment as my secret was revealed, but upon a closer look, I could tell that he didn't seem to care. I sighed as I realized that there was no point in denying it.

"No," I answered. "I'm not."

"Thought as might." He chuckled, before his face turned serious. "Get me a piece of paper and pen."

"What?" I said, confused.

"Pen and paper kid. Now," he said, his voice stronger and more commanding. Confused, I still did as I was told and got a notepad and pen from the counter. I went back to his side and gave him the items, which he took wordlessly and wrote something down. After he was done, he dropped the pen and ripped the page out and gave it to me.

"What's this?' I asked. I was getting even more confused by the second.

"Go to that place." He said. "That's where all the members of the Order are meeting up. Vergil should be there, he's the boss. Tell him I sent you in my place."

"Wait, you're not…" I trailed off. The implication of what he was saying way too obvious. "You don't seriously expect me to leave you here, right?"

"Kid, if you stay we're both dead." He said sternly, the fire back in his eyes. "I saw a truck at the back. Use that to escape, and take this with you." he fished around his pocket until he took out a flash drive and handed it to me. "All the information I got on those demons are in there. Don't let anyone have it, ok? It's not much, but it should gain you Vergil's favor."

"What about you?" I asked, my hands gripping the flash drive.

"I still got my gun and some bullets." He said. "I'll hold them off while you escape." Just as he said that, the front door of the store slammed open and in came the Spotters. Both of us ducked down as a beam of a flashlight went over us.

"Go." He ordered. I hesitated for a moment, until I finally stood up and ran.

Running was something I was used to by now, but for some reason when I ran that night I felt as though that was the most cowardly thing I've ever done in my life. Even now, after so many years have passed, this night would leave a bitter taste in my mouth whenever I remember it. When I looked back I saw Zack pull something out from his bag. I didn't stay long to take a closer look, but I already had an idea. Once I made it through the back door I heard gunshots and inhuman screams. I tried my best to ignore it as I ran towards the truck that Zack mentioned. Busting the window open, I scrambled inside and hot-wired the truck just like how Zack did and got it to work. Once I got out of the driveway, that's when the explosion happened. It almost caught me, but I managed to speed up at the last minute and out run it. A second explosion occurred and then another and another. When I chanced a look it was like looking into a deep inferno. The whole station was on fire. Zack must've used a hand grenade and the fire caught anything combustible in the store and in turn reached the gasoline in the station, a chain reaction so to speak.

I drove on for a few more miles after that.

By the time I reached a deserted highway, the sun was almost rising and I was at my wits end. Stopping by the side of the road, I got out and that's when I finally broke down. I only managed to take a few steps forward before I had to bend over and throw up. It wasn't a pleasant feeling and by the time I was done I ended curling into a ball and feeling even worse than I did before. It was ironic. I should've been used to death, but for some reason this was different. I ended up crying on that spot, and asking myself why the entire world was so wrong and why it had to happen to me.

" _Are you alright Audrianna?"_

I stopped crying then when I heard that familiar voice. I forgot all about him due to the chaos, but once I did, anger rushed through me. "What the hell!" I shouted, standing up. "We were in danger, why didn't you do anything?"

" _The people chasing you were still human. I had no right to touch them."_

"They were shooting at us!" I said in frustration. "You could've done something."

" _Perhaps, but my power is weak. Most of my strength was spent keeping you away from the demon's influences while you were staying in that mad house."_

"So you're saying that it's my fault."'

" _No."_ he answered. _"Even if I was in full power I probably wouldn't have done anything at all."_

"What is that supposed to mean?"

" _Zack made a wise decision. He knew that if you two stayed together demons would follow you everywhere and you would finally be blacklisted. He recognized your potential and knowing that you would be a great asset he decided to let you go."_

"Bullshit!" I growled. "How could you possibly know that's what he was thinking?"

" _Same as I knew that he was going to die."_ He answered. _"The wound he sustained was deep enough that he would've bled out in minutes."_

"Couldn't you have healed him?"

" _Alas, my powers are only reserved for you."_

For a moment I was quiet. Silently contemplating everything that happened and tried to think up scenarios in how things could have gone differently. I couldn't. Finally I sighed and brushed my hair out of my face. "Zack was human too." I said quietly.

" _He was a human with a cause. If he didn't die today, then he would have died tomorrow or maybe even the next. There are no stopping people like that."_

Again, I remained quiet. What he said made sense in a way. Zack was truly willing to die for what he believed in, of that I was certain from the way he just accepted his death. I may not have known him that well, but I could tell that he was honorable. Without another word, I made my way back to the truck and just sat there for a moment. Looking at the brightening horizon I thought of what may happen in the future.

"This won't be the last time, will it?" I asked.

" _No."_ came the quick reply.

I took a deep breath then. "Any suggestions on how I should get stronger?" it didn't take long for him to reply, and once he did I started up the truck and continued on my way. The meeting place could wait, for now I had to make a detour.

* * *

A week after Zack's death I found myself back into my ancestral home. The small village that I used to live in was nothing more than just a pile of rubble and dust. Some structures of small buildings remained, but even they were slowly being swallowed up by nature. In the clearing I stood at the center, the very same spot where I and my sister were placed as infants. Kneeling down, I brushed some of the dirt away until I came across stone. Encouraged, I used both my hands to dig into the soil until I found what I was looking for. Underneath the foliage and earth, there was a stone circle embedded into the ground and was the size of a small plate. Its surface was carved with many lines and rings that it resembled the mazes you'd find on cereal boxes.

Leaning back, I took out a small pocket knife from my belt and sliced my hand with it. The pain was still there, but thanks to Cernunnos' influence it was dulled and the wound was already healing itself. Quickly, I moved my hand over the stone and let a few drops of blood fall on top of it before the wound closed. Once that was done, I immediately stepped back as the stone circle started to activate. Because I was a God's Vessel, my blood was also considered godly, meaning that I have access to secret chambers, particularly the ones owned by Cernunnos. And my blood just so happened to be the key while the stone circle was the doorknob. A faint rumbling could be heard then as the patterns on the stone ring started to rearrange itself until a picture of a circle and crescent moon on top lying on its side appeared. It was the symbol of Cernunnos. Once that was done, the rumbling sounds grew and the ground started to shake.

Alarmed, I moved out of the way, just in time too as the ground suddenly opened up. The shaking immediately stopped after that and I moved forward to see a set of stairs leading downwards. Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself and went ahead. Once I was in, the first thing I noticed was that the air was stale and that the walls were made up of earth. Looking up, I could see some roots sticking out from the ceiling, probably came from the trees above ground. The place was also dark, so it was a good thing I brought a flashlight with me. Turning it on, I could see that the road ahead of me continued to slant downwards, so the only way for me was forward.

I didn't know how long it took me, but eventually I ended up in a large room. The only reason why I knew it was huge was because my flashlight failed to light up the other side of the room and the ceiling. I kept walking though, and once I made it to the center that's when things got interesting, I heard a series of noises that resembled a switch being flipped, and then one by one, a long chain of torches lit up, casting the room in a warm glow.

Now that there was light, I didn't see any need for my flashlight so I put it away. The room I was in was shaped like a dome and aside from the one I just came from; there weren't any doors or other pathways. Earlier, Cernunnos briefed me about this ancient weapon that was kept here that can be used against any supernatural creature. So it was there on the other side of the room, was my objective. Situated on an old stone altar was a spear, but once I came closer I noticed something odd. It was made out of wood, and upon closer inspection I could see that it was actually decaying! The wooden shaft was thick and covered in dust, but it was also concealed in mold and the blade was rusted, I couldn't help but be disappointed at the sight.

"That's it?" I said, incredulous. I cannot believe that I went all this way for a rotting piece of wood! I

" _Don't let its appearance fool you."_ Cernunnos said. _"The outer layer may have rotted, but its power remains the same. Touch it, let us see if you are worthy."_

"And if I'm not?" I couldn't help ask. But when I didn't receive an answer I huffed in exasperation and decided to just get it over with. Taking a deep breath, I approached the altar and touched the spear. The moment my fingers touched the thing, light exploded and I wanted to pull away, but quickly found that I couldn't. My body was frozen and it took me a moment to realize that Cernunnos had taken control. _"You mustn't pull away!_ He shouted. _"You must accept it!"_

I didn't understand what he meant until I finally registered the pain. I screamed. I couldn't help it. The pain was too much; it was like being electrocuted over and over again. It was even worse for my right arm. It was burning hot that I was afraid that my limb would come off. Just when I felt like I was going to pass out, the light intensified and an explosion went off. I felt myself be blown backwards and hit the ground. When I looked up I saw that the altar was destroyed and the room was back to its dim color.

Sitting up, I brushed the hair out of my face and huffed as my whole body was numb and shaking. "So I guess I've been rejected huh?"

" _No."_

"What?" I said, surprised.

" _Look at your arms."_ he instructed and I did as told. I wasn't surprised to see the tips of my right fingers were burnt and that my sleeve was singed. What did surprise me though was the tattoos that covered my forearms. Rolling my sleeves, I could see that the tattoos went all the way to my elbows and shoulders. The designs were similar to the one on my chest, the one that signifies my contract with Cernunnos.

"What happened?"

" _The spear has accepted you."_ Cernunnos answered. _"Like me, it also needed a vessel. Now you have the power to drive off demons without my aid. It is also a living thing, so you must show it proper respect and in turn it will guide you in battle."_

"Great, so now I'm hosting two ancient beings. Just great." I said dryly as I picked myself up. It was too late to whine about it now though. After all, I did need to get stronger so that what happened with Zack would never happen again. So with that thought in mind. I took out the piece of paper that Zack gave me and for the first time read the message he wrote. The first thing that caught my eye was this:

Limbo City.


	5. Chapter 3: Vergil

**Chapter Three: Vergil**

The date for when all the members of the Order would meet was in six months. Plenty of time for me to train and learn how to use the spear, which was easier said than done. Cernunos wasn't kidding when he said that the thing had a mind of its own. The first time I held it, it was a disaster. That thing basically took control of my body and went searching for enemies. It would have gone that way for hours if Cernunnos hadn't taken control and deactivated the spear in time. The next few trials also went like that, but eventually I managed to get a semblance of control. By the time three months were up, I had basic control over the spear and wielding it felt like second nature. I knew it was still early, but I was ready and so I left for Limbo City.

When I arrived I was disoriented to say the least. After living in a forest for three months the sudden change was…unsettling, to say the least. I've forgotten just how loud the city was and not to mention the overwhelming emotions that splurged from it. But it was fine. The meeting place was in three more months so I had time to adjust, and besides it couldn't hurt to do a little recon. After all one couldn't be too careful when dealing with strangers.

When I got there though, I couldn't tell if this Vergil guy had a weird sense of humor or what, but out of all the places he could've have chosen why did it have to be a church? Not that I have anything against it, but the last time I was anywhere near a church it was run by demonic nuns that sold children to other demons. So yeah, it brings back bitter memories. Looking at the place though I had to correct myself and say that this place was more like a cathedral. And while churches and any holy ground have the power to ward off some demons, this place was way too fancy. Everywhere I looked, I could see that most of the stuff here were new. The chandeliers, the paintings…heck even the cross was made out of pure silver while the rest of the wooden furniture was polished until they shined. Even the freaking floor was so clean that it reflected everyone there, which brings me to question as to why there are so many people there. After all, it wasn't Sunday, so why?

The sound of cameras clicking drew my attention and when I turned to look I could see that a large group of people were gathered near the altar. Drawing closer, I realized that these people were actually reporters judging from their get-up and that they were in fact surrounding a rich couple. Their clothing fit the extravagance of the setting as the woman wore a red evening gown with white pearls adorning her neck while her companion wore an expensive suit. They were both middle aged, but I could practically feel their egos ooze as they smiled at the cameras, perfect teeth gleaming in the light. I narrowed my eyes at them and walked away. Those types of people disgusted me to a degree and even though I didn't want to admit it. I envied them. I was planning to leave that place there and then and continue on some other day, but stopped when I heard the next few lines.

"Vergil, where do you think you're going?" the lady in red said. I stopped in my tracks when I heard the name and turned around in disbelief.

"I'm just going to walk around mother, standing around and smiling isn't really exciting." I stared incredulously as the owner of that voice turned out to be teenager, probably no older than me. What was most striking about him though was that he had white hair, which was strange seeing as his parents were brunets, a genetic mutation perhaps?

Whatever the case, this guy couldn't possibly be _the_ Vergil, the guy who's supposedly the leader of The Order. Maybe he just shared the same name? Yeah, that sounded just about right, and I was halfway through convincing myself when the other teen just so happened to walk right pass me. And when he did, that's when I felt it. It was mild, but there was no mistaking it. It was a demon's presence. Twisting around, I watched as he walked further away from me. In all honesty I was terrified. Only high class demons can enter churches and the fact that he was able to conceal it so well made me uneasy. It didn't help that I could practically feel Cernunnos' hackles rise at his presence. I don't know why, but he has a serious grudge against them.

 _"_ _That boy is an abomination."_ The god said.

"What do you mean?" I whispered, taking care not to be too close to other people as I spoke. Talking to my self was what landed me in the mad house after all.

 _"_ _He's a Halfling, yet no human blood runs through his veins. Another species has dared to mate with demons, how disgusting."_

"Can you tell what his other lineage is?" I asked, ducking behind a pillar to observe the boy more. Said boy stopped in front of a row of paintings nailed to the wall, all of them depicting different saints. His expression bored as he looked at them.

 _"_ _No."_ the god answered, and I could feel his frustration through our bond, which soon turned to confusion. _"Where are you going?"_

"I just want to confirm something." I said. "If anything goes wrong feel free to tear that guy apart." At first I didn't know how to approach him, but then I noticed that he was standing next to the corner where people lit candles. With an idea in mind, I switched directions and grabbed a bunch of candles from the person selling them and left after dropping a few coins. When I got back I saw that the white-haired teen was still standing there.

"Hey," I said. "Is there a match or do I just get from the candles already lit."

"Oh, here." The teen said, snapping out of his thoughts as he handed me a matchstick box that was almost hidden from view. "Thanks." I said, taking it and started on lighting the candles one by one. By the time I started on the fifth the other teen spoke. "That's a lot of candles." He commented.

"There's a lot of people I need to give tribute to." I answered. The boy was silent for a moment then, "I'm sorry for your lost." He said.

"It's fine, I wasn't close to them in the first place." I said, remembering the isolation my guardians put me through. It was quite between us then, with me just lighting up more candles and him just standing there. Eventually, I finished lighting up all the candles and brushed my hands against my jeans. The whitehaired dude was still standing there, which was good.

"Hey, is it just me or does everything here seem new to you?" I asked which caused the other to scoff. "That's because it is." He said. "Today is the grand opening, which is why everything is decked in gold and silver. Didn't you know that, it was in the newspapers?"

"It's my first day in the city." I shrugged.

"That explains it then." He said.

"You don't seem impressed," I noted.

"My parents were the ones who organized this event. It's nothing new to me." he answered.

"Hmm," I hummed. There was nothing I could say to that. "Is that them there?" I asked, nodding towards the couple who was being interviewed. "Yes." He said, not even bothering to look.

"Strange you don't look like them." I commented, and then later realized just how rude that sounded. "Sorry." I added, "That was kinda rude wasn't it?"

"It's fine." He said. "I get asked that a lot."

"I guess your parents drag you to lot of these kind of events huh?" I said.

"You have no idea." He sighed, and I could sense that he was getting comfortable around me. His entire stance was more relaxed compared to how I first approached. Having someone to listen to him was probably therapeutic for him, too bad I had to break his bubble. "Must be boring, considering since you have an entire organization to run, hiding from the authorities and fighting demons I mean."

"Yeah I - " he started then stopped as the full impact of my words hit him hard. "Relax, I'm not here to cause trouble." I said.

"Then what are you here for?" he asked. He didn't even try to deny it, probably knew that it wasn't worth it. His face was emotionless, but I could sense the alarm that ran through him as his entire body stance was stiff and he regarded me warily. Instead of answering him though I showed him the flash drive that Zack gave me, Vergil – at least I assume that's him – frowned when he saw it. "What is that?" he asked.

"This flash drive contains information about the demon king and all his associates." I answered. I wasn't lying when I said that. I actually took the liberty to check myself and honestly it was a goldmine, given to the right person that is. "What?" Vergil said in alarm and I could sense more than see that he was planning to snatch it so I took a step back. "Don't even try it." I warned, and then nodded to the reporters still present. Seeing that, he knew immediately what I meant. I'll cause a scene if he tries to mess with me and that could possibly lead to a scandal on his family's part.

"Tch." Vergil glared at me, but immediately got his composure back. "Where did you get that?" he demanded.

"Zack gave it to me." I simply said.

"Why would he - " he started but stopped when a thought occurred to him. Glancing at the candles that I just lit up realization dawned unto him. "Oh." he said, his entire stance somber. I gave him a tired smile at that before staring at the paintings myself. "Me and Zack got trapped in the same mental institute a few months back." I said. "I helped him escape, but we were ambushed. Zack got injured during the chase so he stayed back to give me more time to run…He was a good guy."

"He was." Vergil agreed. He was silent after that, but eventually he spoke and this time there was a tentative note in his voice. "But I get the feeling that you didn't just come here for a friendly chat."

"You're right." I said, feeling a sense of déjà vu. Zack had once said the exact same words after all. "When I helped Zack, I wanted something from him and that was membership in the Order."

"That can easily be arranged." He said immediately, but I scoffed. I could tell from my empathy that he only wanted the flash drive. Noticing my behavior, Vergil raised an eyebrow. "You don't believe me?" he asked.

"If you were in my position would you?" I countered.

"Alright, so what do you want?" he asked and I couldn't help but smile at him. _Now_ we're talking.

"Got any experience breaking into high security places?" I told him. The only answer I got was a smile.

That same night, I was standing outside a building waiting for Vergil to show up. It was nearing 2am in the morning and the night was freezing, not that I could feel it. Ever since I bonded with the spear the biting chill of winter hasn't touched me and for some reason I felt more alive than I did before. It's kinda hard to explain, but it's like I've become more aware of my surroundings. As though all my senses were heightened and I became more alert. The range of how much emotions I can sense has also increased, but thankfully I learned how to put an off switch on it. The freaky thing about it all was that the spear was alive. Not that it had a consciousness per se, rather, if I concentrated enough I could feel its energy thrumming through my veins and pulsing in tune with my heart. It's a bit disconcerting how I'm now hosting two entities and I worried that I was becoming less human because of it. For appearances sake though, I decided to wear a long jacket (something I stole) to at least appear like I was cold. That wasn't the only thing I changed though, somewhere along the way, in my preteens I think, I started dyeing my hair just for the fun of it. So instead of having dark brown hair, I was now sporting an array of neon colors for hair. Not the most discreet look I know, but who cares.

Another minute or so, Vergil showed up. The first thing I noticed about him was that he was out of his school uniform and was now donning a long black overcoat with blue linings. "Did you wait for your parents to sleep or something?" I said, once he came within hearing range. "For your information, I was busy making this." He said, waving a small black object. I wasn't sure what it was but from the looks of it, it looked like one those gadgets that other teenagers used to play with or something. I'm out of date I know, but cut me some slack. I've been living in a forest for the first few years of my life and the rest was spent in hiding. I didn't exactly had time to update myself with all of this technology stuff.

"What is it?"

"It's a program I made to bypass any security we might face." He said, pocketing the thing. "Breaking in should be easy as long as we find a computer and plug this in. Which reminds me, where exactly are we going?"

"Storage facility." I said, walking past him and down the street.

"A storage facility?" he repeated, following after me. "There are tons of those in the city, and what's more they don't require much security. Why would you need help breaking into one?"

"Trust me, the storage facility we're going to is place is even more secure than any bank."

Half an hour later, I led Vergil to our destination and upon arriving he had his brows raised and an incredulous look on his face. Can't blame him though, I had the exact same look on my face when I first arrived here. "That…that is not a storage facility. That's a prison." Vergil said.

"Oh no, there aren't any prisoners there, just some stuff." I assured him.

"And what exactly are they keeping that warrants such security?" he asked dryly.

"Demonic stuff." I replied. "Mostly curse items and poisonous substances, as well as weapons that deal some serious damage to both parties. Get what I'm saying?"

"Yeah." Vergil said.

Pandora's Box, a storage facility made just for demons and like I said before it was filled to the brim with all kinds of nasty things. Standing stall with a six stories high length and twenty acres of width, the building cut out as an imposing figure here at the edge of the city. Especially with the wire fencing and the guard dogs prowling about. "And you want to break in because…?" he asked.

"That's my business." I answered swiftly. "Are we gonna do this or not?"

"Hold on." Vergil said, grabbing my arm as I tried to walk pass him. "You came to me remember? If I'm really going to go through with this, I need to know what I getting myself into."

I huffed at his reply, but I couldn't really refute him. After all I would've done the same and judging by the look in his eyes he wasn't going to budge unless I give him a good enough answer. So heaving a sigh, I decided to give him the short version. "Twelve years ago, there was a group of Wiccans living in the forests of Canada. They weren't a threat to anyone, but they had the ability to see demons and could use magic. Apparently that was enough reason for those demon bastards to go and massacre them all. The real tragedy though was that they took everything valuable, including the ones that can ward off demons. It took me a long time, but I managed to track them all down here."

After I finished speaking, Vergil was silent. He looked at me with this calculative look on his eyes, as he tried to figure out if what I said is true. I was also using my power to get a read on him and after a moment it felt like he reached a decision. "Alright." He finally agreed. "But if this is a trap - "

"You'll leave, or worse." I cut him off. "I get it, so are we doing this or not?" I asked. He didn't say anything so I took it as a sign and moved pass him. We were standing on a small hill that overlooked the entire compound so sliding down was easy. By the time I got unto even ground I was facing the metal fence. I took out the wire cutters from within my satchel and started cutting through the fence. I was halfway through it when Vergil caught up to me. He didn't say anything, but he had this pensive look on his face as he looked around to make sure that nobody caught us. Once I made a big enough hole, I slipped through with Vergil right behind me. Thankfully, there were some bushes nearby and so I hid there. In the meantime, I took out a plastic bag from within my satchel next and carefully opened it. There was a weird squishing sound when I jostled it and an even weirder smell that came off when I opened it.

"What is that?" Vergil said, as he caught sight of the bag.

"Dead bird." I answered, shifting in my position and then threw with all my might. The plastic bag sailed across the yard, the contents spilling as it flew and landed with a splat! The effect was instant. Almost all the dogs perked up at the sound and those that were nearer began to feast. It wasn't long before all the guard dogs were scrambling for a piece of meat. "Let's go." I beckoned as I slipped out of the bushes. Quietly, we managed to get to the other side of the yard, but had to circle back to avoid being caught by the cameras at the entrance. Fortunately, I had already planned ahead and went to the spot where I intended to enter, a ventilation shaft to be precise. "Give me a lift." I said, taking out a screwdriver from my knapsack while I was at it. Vergil complied and knitted his hands together and bent forward. I used his hands as footholds and he steadily lifted me up until I was standing on his shoulders. I went to work at getting the screws out and then tugged the cover off. I handed the grill to Vergil then scrambled inside. Once in, I turned around and offered my hand. Vergil took it and with a grace similar to that of a cat, he jumped in.

It took us a couple of minutes to make it to pass through and once we did I realized that the grill was bolted on the other side. Not to mention that the slots between the metal grills were so thin that I couldn't slip my hand through, so I couldn't use my screwdriver. That leaves me with the option of kicking it open. It was awkward maneuvering my body around, but I managed and started kicking. On my fourth kick though, Vergil stopped me. "Let me." he said, squeezing next to me. It only took him one try to pop the grill out and it fell to the floor with a clatter. After it fell, Vergil leveled me a pointed look to which I just huffed. "Oh don't look so smug." I said. "I loosened it up for you."

"Sure you did." was all Vergil said before leaping out. I rolled my eyes, but followed after him. The hallways were dark as expected, so I brought out a flashlight from my knapsack and shined the way through. The light was small, but it was enough for me to see the signs on the upper most walls that told me where the front lobby was and where all the coded lockers were. "Come on." I said, taking the lead. On the way through, I was careful to keep the light focused on the ground so that anyone on the outside wouldn't be able to see it and think that there were intruders. The walk to the main entrance was short and uneventful and we made it to the office without incident. I already expected it to be locked, so getting down on one knee I took out two bobby pins inside my braid and started picking the lock. Five seconds later, I heard a distinct click and pushed the door open.

"I can see that you've had a lot of experience with this sort of thing." Vergil commented, eyeing the way I put the bobby pins back into my hair.

"What? Feeling squeamish already?" I challenged.

"Of course not." He retorted. "I'm just curious. Obviously you've broken into a lot of places before, and demon-run or not, this place doesn't have that much security. It should be a piece of cake for you, so why bring me?"

"For this." I simply stated as I pushed the door further. Inside, the room was small, with only a desk, a swivel chair and a few cabinets making it even more cramped. However the entire wall on the north side was filled with monitors showing live feed of the hallways we just passed and the yard outside. "You want me to break into their system?" he asked.

"Yep." I said as I walked inside and leaned against the wall.

"Why?" he said, after a deliberate silence.

"Well, I figured if I brought you along you could find me the location of where the stuff I need. That way I won't have to waste time looking through each locker." For all my grievances with Cernunnos' ignorance with technology, I couldn't say that I was any better. I mean sure, I was considered a genius before when I was a kid and yes I adapted to stuff real easily but I've never gone around hacking into things before, hence, why Vergil is here.

"You know you could have just told me all this before we broke in. I could've easily hacked into their system from the outside." He said.

"Did I forget to mention that the stuff I needed is quite a lot. So I need help getting them all out." I countered. "Well, what are you waiting for? Start hacking, I'll stand watch."

Vergil shot me a look of disbelief before, before shaking his head and started to work. Unseen by him, I smile in triumph as he started the computer up. While he was busy with that I decided to guard the hallway outside. True to my word, I kept watch, just…not in the conventional way. With Cernunnos' help, the range of my empathy had increased over the years to the point that I could feel every living thing in a hundred mile radius. It was so overwhelming at times, that it was the main reason why I decided to stay away from large cities. Thankfully, with some perseverance I managed to get it under control, but for this moment I had to let it go. I needed to make sure that nothing was gonna stand in our way. So taking a deep breath, I let go.

I was not prepared for what happened next.

The moment I let my mental barriers dropped, I took in a sharp breath as a huge influx of emotions assaulted me from all sides. It was like facing a raging torrent of water and keeping my head up was next to impossible. Pain was the first thing to register. Pain at the injuries the guard dogs from outside had to endure from years of abuse, pain at being mugged in some random alley, or the pain of those inside the ER after suffering an accident. Next there was anger, fear, and disgust…negative emotions were always the first to appear. Positive emotions were hard to come by. I took a shaky breath and focused on the building. It took some effort, but I managed to ignore the masses in favor of the ones inside the storage facility, but then I frowned at what I discovered.

Which was nothing, absolutely nothing. The only lifeforms inside the building was just me and Vergil. Putting my mental barriers up again, I couldn't help but feel uneasy. I mean sure it made things easier, but then why would they have such lax security on the inside? Were they that confident that nobody could break in? But still this place housed a lot of dangerous equipment that could prove useful to others. I was snapped out of my thoughts though when a voice called out to me.

"Hey." Oh right, Vergil.

"What is it?" I asked once I reentered the room.

"I managed to reroute all the security cameras, so unless we bump into any guards nobody will ever know we were here." He said. "Having said that, I also hacked into their main system and got into their records, which I have to say, is a goldmine. A list of all their sponsors is here including the storage lockers they rented and the items inside."

"You can keep that info." I said. "The ones I'm looking for belonged to humans."

"If you say so." Vergil shrugged, but I could see him plug in a flash drive into the CPU and copied all the data there. "What exactly am I looking for?"

"Spell books, the ones that were made when witch-hunting was at its peak. Most of them should be bound in either leather or bark, or any organic material." I answered.

"Oh-kay…" Vergil said, as turned back to the computer. It was quite for a moment with only the tapping from the keyboard filling the space until Vergil decided to break it. "I don't mean to pry, but why are you so determined to get these books? I mean, sure they might be useful, but how did you come to know of them in the first place?"

"I could ask you the same thing." I countered. "Do your parents normally allow you to carry a sword?" I was referring to the long Japanese sword strapped to hip. It wasn't obvious when he was standing because his coat usually covered it, but now that he was sitting I could the bottom part of the sword poking out. "They don't know anything about it." his expression suddenly closed off, then added "It's not an ordinary sword."

"I can see that." I said. Just by standing in the same room I could already tell that the sword was similar to my spear. It was powerful and could probably inflict a lot of damage, but there was something dark about it. It made me wary for some reason and then I remembered that this guy wasn't all that human either. "Did you pick it up from one of your adventures or something?"

"You could say that." He said vaguely. He typed in some more before turning around to face me while still seated on the swivel chair. Over his shoulder I could see that a dialogue box appeared on the screen with something being downloaded. "I typed in the necessary information, so right now the computer is doing a search for all related items, but since this place is huge it might take a while."

"That was quick." I commented.

"Tell me about it." He said, sounding a bit annoyed. "You would think that a place filled with so many valuable objects would have more security than this. Instead, I find the standard security level that even a grade schooler can hack into." For some reason, I didn't like the haughty tone in his voice as he explained to me the mechanics. Most of which I couldn't understand. "They teach you that at school or something? " I snorted. Somehow, whatever I said managed to snap Vergil out of the arrogant bubble he placed himself in as he regarded me skeptically. "Something tells me you've never been to school."

"Oh yeah? What gave it away?" I answered flatly.

"The fact that you keep criticizing me about anything school related." He said. "So am I right? You never went to school?"

"Yep." I answered nonchalantly.

"Why not?" he asked, which ended with me glaring at him "What is this, some Q and A time? Why do you care?" I retorted. Vergil just shrugged. "I'm just curious." He said. "I mean, didn't your parents send you to school, or did certain circumstances prevent that?" I felt my eye twitch at that. I mean could you believe the sheer audacity of this guy! We just met and he's already asking personal questions! But he was still looking at me expectantly, meaning he wasn't gonna drop it anytime soon. I let out a long suffering sigh upon realizing that. "I didn't knew my parents ok." I said. "I was raised by different people."

"Foster parents then." He concluded.

"What? No!" I said, taken aback by that assumption. "I mean yeah, I was in the system, but it only lasted a year, before I ran away. But before that I was living with this large group of people. They didn't see the need for me to go school and they wouldn't let me out of their sight. Rather, they kept me in the house and taught me everything I needed to know to survive."

"Why wouldn't they let you out?"

"Because…they told me it was dangerous." I said, echoing the very same words they once said to me. "And they were right." Vergil was silent for a moment as he processed everything I said. Then finally: "Where are they now?" he asked.

"Dead." I didn't have any shred of grief when I said it. "Ironically, they couldn't keep themselves alive with the knowledge they taught me. And as for how I came to know of those books, well, they belonged to them. I'm just getting them back."

"You mean, those Wiccans were - " whatever he was about to say, he stopped and decided on something else. "I'm sorry to hear that." Vergil said.

"Don't be." I said. "Like I said before, I wasn't close to any of them." I thought that was the end of that, but then Vergil just had to open his mouth. "I was also in the foster care system." He said.

"What?" I said in surprise. I really didn't expect him to say anything else. "The people you saw at the church," he continued. "They aren't my real parents." Okay, I was seriously blown. I did not think of that…then again, that should have been obvious. You see, while I was waiting for Vergil to show up I was discussing with Cernunnos just what kind of creature he was. Seeing as they were obscenely rich, we concluded that the couple made a deal with the devil in order to get wealthy. In exchange, the wife either had to get pregnant with a demon's child, or the couple was tasked to take care of him. Either way, hearing that he went through same thing as me was a bit startling, but I could sense no deceit in his words, just awkward honesty. Which then leads me confused, I mean why is a rags-to-riches boy doing this whole thing then?

"Ok, that makes no sense, at all." I voiced out. "I mean, you have a chance of a good life. Why throw that away?" I could feel that my question troubled him. He shifted a bit, trying to find the words to say, but before he could a loud beeping noise interrupted us. It snapped us both out as we turned to where the source was and saw that it was the computer. "The search results are in." Vergil said, turning away from me. I knew that he was avoiding the topic, but I decided to let it go. Too much time has passed already and we couldn't afford to stay any longer. Vergil printed out the results and turned off the computer right after he covered his tracks. "It says here that the stuff you're looking for are in the third floor."

"Then let's go." I said, turning my back. The entire walk was quiet, and even though I already checked, we really didn't encounter any guards. It was a bit alarming, but we made it this far so we couldn't turn back now. Once we reached our destination I was facing three, grilled, steel doors. Unlike the rest of the storage units we passed, these three were painted green while the others were red. "According to this, all the items that came from humans were about to be destroyed next week."

"Seriously?" I asked.

"Yes, good thing we're doing this now."

"Yeah…" I said absentmindedly. Good thing indeed. Those books were hundreds of year's old, dating back to the time when witchcraft was still considered good. There's no way I can find anything like them again. Now I was even more motivated to get them back. Crouching down, I took out the screw jack from my knapsack and placed it near the entrance of the first locker. "You know, I'm starting to wonder how you manage to fit all that in your bag." Vergil said.

"Are you gonna help me or not?" I snapped. Raising his hands in surrender, he knelt down beside me and helped in lifting the grill door, just enough for me to insert the jack in between the door and the floor. Once that was done, I started pumping the lever until there was enough space for me and Vergil to crawl through. Once on the other side I couldn't help but stare at the sight before me. I understood then why they were three doors painted green because all of them led to the same room. It was large, probably half the size of the entire building and it was filled with hundreds and hundreds of books. All of them stacked right up to the ceiling. I knew then, that some of them might have come from other clans, but nonetheless, they were all valuable. But just to be sure, I approached one stack and picked up a random book. Opening it, the smell of old paper assaulted me as I turned the pages and studied the text. The language was old, but not impossible to interpret and I could easily tell that it was legit.

"I can't open this." Vergil said, snapping me out of my thoughts. Looking over, I could see that he was holding a fairly new looking book, bound in black leather. But one look at the symbol engraved on its spine I knew what I was dealing with. "Let me see." I said, taking the book from him. Taking my switchblade from my pocket, I flipped it open and nicked my thumb over it. I squeezed the cut for more blood to come out and smeared it over the pages. Smoke rose from where the blood touched the pages and then with a hiss, the book popped open. "This is amazing." Vergil said, after taking the book back and examining the pages and I couldn't agree more. The book he got was good one; it was filled with diagrams and schemes on how to ward off demons, or better yet how to get rid of them for good. "I can see now why they were killed for these books." He said, still mesmerized by the knowledge. " _All_ of this belonged to your group?"

"Not all of them." I answered. "It probably came from other clans."

"There are more of you?" he asked.

"Not many, just a few clans scattered across the world." I said, and then I felt his interest spike. "Don't even think about it." I warned. "The fact that these books are here means that other Wiccan tribes have been destroyed. And even if they weren't I doubt they'll join your cause. They're too scared to draw attention that they rather hide than fight. Believe me, I tried." I said, and then I added as an afterthought. "Another thing you should know is that most of these books are protected, like the one you're holding right now. And judging from the symbols, it means that only humans can open it. So I'm curious why you can't."

"I…" Vergil started, but stopped, having been caught off guard and unsure what to say. Heck, I could practically feel the rising panic in him. "Relax." I said. "I already had my suspicions. And unlike you I don't ask personal questions on the first date. So, I won't ask as long as you won't. Deal?"

"Deal." He agreed. "But how did you know?"

"Well you admitted to having a supernatural weapon right? Based on Wiccan lore, you're either a human with lots of magical potential, a half-human, or just plain not human at all." I said. "So, are we going to do this or not?"

"Do what?"

"To carry the books out of course." I said matter of fact. "This is where I need your help the most. I can't carry all these books myself, and even with our combined efforts it'll take us too long and I don't want to risk it. One of the books here has a spell that can open a portal to Limbo. My plan is to open it and transport the books in a niche I created there and then come back for it later." Vergil nodded, but upon taking a second look I could feel his apprehension at all the books that we had to go through.

"I have a better idea." He suggested. "Tell me, what does this niche of yours look like?"

"Um, well…" I started, a bit taken aback by the question, but answered regardless. "There's a cave in Limbo that's mostly hidden by rocks. Inside there are various sigils similar to ones on the book inscribed on the walls. A stack of rocks is also in front of the entrance with a paper charm on top." Vergil had this concentrated look on his face as he listened and once I was done speaking he nodded. "Stand back." He said. Curious, I did as I was told and watched as he took position in the middle of the room. Vergil stood still for a moment; his hand on the hilt of his sword. Then with a quick motion, he pulled the sword out and sliced the air, and I mean literally! I actually jumped in surprise as the tip of the sword disappeared leaving behind a gaping hole in the air, or more precisely, a portal to Limbo.

I was shocked to say the least. "…So…you're sword can open portals." I said.

"Yes." He said, sheathing said weapon. Seeing him calmly put his weapon back, snapped me back to reality. "Right." I said. "Let's get to work shall we?" It took longer than expected, mostly because some of these books were protected against demons. So every time Vergil touched one of these he either got zapped or burned. It's no wonder now why it took so long for the demons to decide to destroy them all now. True to my word, I didn't comment whenever he got hurt. I merely took over while he searched for a stack that was safe to touch. In case you're wondering how I got this space in Limbo, well, let's just say that I got sucked in by accident and landed right in the center of this nest of bird-like creatures. It was nice target practice, and it was only when everything was over that I realized just how useful this place could be. So yeah, I made it my space and made sure that no random demon could get in, hence the charms. After an hour or so, we finally managed to transfer all the books in Limbo.

"That's the last of it," I said, clapping my hands to get the dust off. "We should leave now, before anyone catches us." Nodding, Vergil closed the portal and together we left the locker. Nothing changed when we retraced our steps, but I couldn't help but feel nervous all of a sudden. I mean, it was just too easy. You would think that having curse objects and deadly weapons should warrant more security and yet, there isn't any, not much anyway. Were they that confident that nobody would steal from them? The last thought annoyed me somehow but it made sense in a way. Then again, I should've known that I spoke too soon.

We were halfway through the building when cracks started appearing all around us. Dark, forbidding orange light approached us like a squadron of death and I couldn't help but feel a familiar sense of dread. Beside me Vergil cursed. "Run!" he shouted. I didn't need to be told twice and together we ran like hell. But no matter how far we ran it still caught up with us. We were on the stairs when the scenery changed. One moment I was running down the stairs, the next I was in midair. "Shit!" I curse, but fortunately I managed to safely – albeit messily – land on this floating platform. Vergil landed on another platform not too far off.

"I guess we were both wrong." I said, getting up. "The demons did have security in place."

"But how did they know we were here?" the silver-head said.

"Well seeing as nobody is attacking us yet, it's probably just a trap set up for intruders." I said, while dusting myself off. "One of us must've triggered it while we were moving the books. Anyways," I nodded towards him, or more specifically his sword. "Think you can get us out?"

"Of course." He huffed, as though insulted. Just as he was about to take his stance loud screeching could be heard in the distance. Turning, we both looked to where the source was and I couldn't help but groan. There in the distance were the big, fat cupids of hell, aka: annoying pieces of shits on wings. They were nothing more than just perverted versions of innocent babies and seeing them up close never failed to fill me with disgust. "Stay back." Vergil said, taking a stance. I on the other hand just sighed. "This is going to be a long night." I muttered.

It was interesting to watch. Vergil, for all his cockiness, was a proficient fighter. Wielding the blade as though it was part of him, he moved through his enemies with the grace of a lion. A true predator, one could say. Though halfway through the battle I started to get bored. Of course I could've have joined, but Cernunnos wouldn't let me and not to mention I didn't see the need to reveal my trump card just yet. Instead, I spotted this random piece of piping on the ground and an idea hit me. I picked it up then swung it back and forth like baseball player until I managed to hit a stray bomb coming from one of the Bathos. I did so again, only this time steered it into another direction, particularly at another demon. It was much more fun doing this and it wasn't long before it was finally over and Vergil didn't even break a sweat. Sheathing his sword, I took this opportunity to speak. "We should move." I said, dropping the pipe. "The fighting could have drawn attention and I don't want to be caught in another fight."

Vergil agreed. Seeing as almost all the floating platforms were clustered together, I refused Vergil's offer to be carried and made my way across without trouble. Seeing that I was doing fine, Vergil just shrugged and followed after. Soon, we left that spot and came upon more stable ground. "This place should do." I said, looking around in case any more demons pop up, but there weren't any. Vergil got ready to slice open a new portal, but before he could do so, the ground started to shake. "What the - " I cut off as the shaking grew worse that I had to kneel down so I wouldn't topple over.

"I think we should - "whatever Vergil was gonna say was cut off when the ground suddenly erupted and a demon the size of a truck came bursting out. It wasn't like anything I've seen before, it was unique. Its body was more plant-like as it was covered in thin tentacles that looked like vines and its head resembled that of a Venus flytrap. One such vine caught me by surprise as it gripped my ankle and dragged me to the air. I didn't even have time to scream as the demon whipped me back and forth and the wind was knocked out of me. I think I heard Vergil shout something, but I couldn't understand as I was too busy trying not to throw up while the demon treated me like a rag doll. Before I knew it, I was suddenly thrown to the air. I was suspended for one whole second before gravity took over and I was soon falling. "Shit!" I shouted as I realized I was rapidly approaching its mouth. Hot, rancid breath greeted me as I fell and its gaping maw growing bigger by the second and I could see bits of rotten meat still stuck to its teeth…

"Oomph!" for the second time that day I had the wind knocked out of me when I felt something or _someone_ tackle me out of the way. We both skidded to the ground, me coughing and curling up as I felt pain bloom in my midsection. That tackle wasn't neat at all and I was pretty sure that without Cernunnos' help I was gonna sport an ugly bruise.

"Sorry for the rough treatment." Vergil said, standing up. "But I had to get you out of the way."

"To do what?" I rasped. Damn! Even speaking hurt. This jerk probably broke a rib.

"This." he answered before charging at the demon. Just like before, there was a certain grace as he fought. Blue light glinted off the blade as he swung his sword in a powerful arc before stabbing. The demon gave out a cry of pain and then it tried grabbing him like it did to me, but before it could even come close, Vergil sliced it, the vines falling to the ground, squirming and then withering away. The demon screamed louder after that, but Vergil paid no heed. Instead he sliced open a small portal and dash through, only to reappear again behind the demon and slashed at its back. The demon turned around but Vergil had gone into another portal and reappeared at another blind spot to stab then to disappear again. He did that move again and again; in a speed so fast that I thought I was seeing after images. And the demon, well, the poor sap couldn't even keep up. Always missing him by just one second and it wasn't long before it was covered in its blood.

Finally, Vergil delivered the final blow and the demon fell into a bloody mess before disintegrating for good. Just when I thought that it finally over, the ground started to shake. The hole where the demon was hiding in before started to enlarge and cracks spread out all throughout the ground we were on. Vergil and I shared a horrified look before the ground just suddenly broke apart. "Vergil!" I shouted. Acting quickly, Vergil jumped across the gaps and reached out to me. I grabbed unto his arm as he opened another portal and next thing I knew we were both tumbling through grass and dirt. Opening my eyes, I was relieved to see the night sky instead of the distorted space of Limbo. Heart pounding and chest heaving, I managed to sit up and saw the storage facility a few miles away.

"We made it…" I said almost disbelievingly. After all we went through I'm pretty sure I was justified. But no sooner did I think that, the building suddenly came alive with lights and alarm bells. "…And they set off the alarms…Of course." I added, exasperated. "Come on." I said in resignation and together we bolted from that place.

I was so ready to drop dead by the time we got back to the streets. My body ached and my body felt like lead and with the adrenaline rush gone I was barely functioning. Ok maybe that was a bit exaggerating, but still I was pretty damn tired! ...but I still had something to do. "Hey," calling out to Vergil's attention. "Here." I said, tossing him the flash drive. He caught it and looked at me in surprise. "Its thanks for saving me back there."

"But…" he started, but stopped once he realized where I was going with this. "You were never going to join me from the start, were you?"

"Nope." I said. "If it makes you feel better, I had every intention of giving the flash drive to you. I owed it Zack at least."

"Then why do all this?"

"Like I said I needed help. Some of those books are ancient; you can't find anything like them again. I just couldn't bear the thought that they were under demon possession, much less be destroyed. I had to do something. And…I wanted to see what you were like." I added.

"And what did you see?" he asked. I pursed my lips in thought at that.

"Honestly, you're not what I expected." I said. "But it's not a bad thing." I added. "You're a mystery Vergil and what you're trying to do, it's noble and all, but it's not my thing. I guess my Wiccan heritage rubbed off on me. I'm not ready to fight out in the open like you are."

"I understand." He said. "I won't force you."

"Good." I said, taking a few steps away from him. "This is goodbye I guess." I said, walking backwards a bit before turning away completely. But before I could make it far I turned around again and was thankful he was still there. "Oh and Vergil." I called. "You're free to use the books if you want, just don't mess with them, ok? And also what you're planning is suicide at best, but I hope you make a difference." Last thing I saw was him quirking his lips into smile before I walked away for good; however, I should've known that my night was far from over.

Half an hour later, I was walking back to my hideout which was located in the shabbier parts of town. I wasn't worried in getting mugged here since most of the residents were either high or drunk to do anything. Also it was three in the morning. I was so tired already that I was practically dragging my feet and I couldn't wait to get to my bed. I was conserving my energy by lowering the range of my empathy which is probably why it took me so long to notice them. I was rounding a corner then when I sensed it, the bloodlust. My eyes widened at that and I stopped on impulse. I could feel that the source of bloodlust also stopped. Biting my lips, I continued to walk, pretending that I didn't notice anything even though dread was pooling in my stomach. There were around 3, no 4 things following me, and judging by the intensity of their bloodlust they were still humans, but it wouldn't be long before they turned. I stopped in my tracks and felt that the four also stopped at the same time. There was no denying it now. "Shit." I cursed before breaking into a sprint. Once they saw me run, they didn't bother hiding anymore and came rushing after me.

"Where are you running off to girl?"

"We just want to talk. And maybe we could do some other things to?"

"Yeah right." I muttered as I heard them cackling in glee. It's just my luck that I ended up being chased by perverts. God I seriously don't need this shit! Just when I thought that I sensed another person coming right at me and dodged in time as a guy hidden in an alley tried to tackle me. Great now I had to deal with five guys. Growling, I ducked into this narrow alley that had piles and piles of trash bins and other junk stacked on either side. The smell was horrendous, but I ignored it in favor of dragging them down behind my back as I ran. Seemed like my plan worked as I could hear cursing and bodies smacking into the pavement, but I didn't dare look back. When I did though, it was because the noise of collapsing objects was too great that I couldn't help but smile at the sight. The five that were chasing after me were buried under a pile of trash and junk, the ones still conscious were throwing death threats at me, but I just laughed. Just when I thought things were getting better, I realized my mistake. I was out of the alley and in the middle of a street when bright light surrounded me. When I turned, I was just in time to see the fender of a car before I got knocked back.

I skidded a few feet away, my torso aching from where I got hit and I groaned in pain. I must've hit my head pretty hard when I fell because I can hear a ringing in my ears. I heard a car door open and when I opened my eyes my vision was blurry, but I still managed to see the logo of Pandora's Box stamped on its cover. I closed my eyes and inwardly cursed once I realized that these guys chasing me were from the storage facility. I tried to move but ended up gasping in pain. Getting hit by a car was a new experience, and so was being surrounded. Blinking, I made out six figures surrounding me, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. My mind was still dazed and I couldn't get my body to work. I was about to ask Cernunnos for help until I heard a cry. Turning my head, I could see this splash of blue attacking one of the guys, which then caught the others attention. It wasn't long before a full out brawl occurred, but somehow, the blue figure managed to draw the conflict away from me. I had an idea of who it was but I needed to see. So with a lot of effort, I managed to get on my hands and knees and slowly worked my way into a standing position, if you call it that. By the time the battle was over, I was pale and shivering as I clutched at my side. Some of my ribs got broken again, but my body was working overtime to get it healed.

"You…saved me." I gasped out. "Why?"

"I was also chased by these guys from the storage facility, so I thought that you might be in danger." He explained.

"Seriously?" I said in disbelief.

"Um, yes?" Vergil said, taken aback from my response. "Should there be another reason?"

"I don't know you tell me." I countered, causing the white-haired teen to think. "It was the right thing to do." he finally said.

"Bullshit!" I shouted, or at least, as much as my lungs would allow me. "I-I gave you the flash drive and access to the books. There shouldn't be anything between us anymore. Why would you risk your life to save mine? And don't me give that crap about doing the right thing again because no one and I mean NO ONE is that noble." During the course of my entire rant, Vergil just watched me with this unreadable expression and despite my empathy powers I couldn't tell what he was feeling. I didn't recognize the emotion. Once I finished my rant, Vergil just sighed and sheathed his sword.

"You've been alone for a very long time." he said. This time I could sense the pity in his voice. I didn't say anything, and I refused to look him in the eyes. "Do you have a place to stay?" he asked. I shot my eyes towards him as he continued to speak. "Because I refuse to believe that you actually live here and I can't leave an injured person alone." He finished.

"I'm fine." I said.

"Are you sure?" he questioned. "I was following through the rooftops and I saw you get hit by that car."

"It's better than it looks." I answered.

"Even so I can't leave you like this." He insisted. I knew that if protested or decline it would take the whole night, and frankly I wasn't up to it. So biting my lips, I asked, "This place you're taking me to…is it safe?"

"Yes." He answered. "Alright." I said, finally agreeing.

Several hours later, I was standing in front of this grilled door, similar to the ones back at Pandora's Box. Vergil was kneeling down on the ground while trying to unlock the padlock. There was a click and soon Vergil was pushing the doors upwards revealing to me the space inside. I didn't wait for permission and walked right in. it was big and spacious, just like any old warehouse should except this one had two other buildings connected to it making it bigger than usual.

"What do you think?" Vergil asked, from the doorway. "I know that there isn't much, but I plan to make this place headquarters for the Order." I didn't say anything at first. I just hummed as I stood somewhere in the middle as I surveyed the surroundings. The building was empty, and there were echoes every time I walked. But somehow…I could see it. This place brimming with life as other people walked around doing god knows what while plotting ways on how to take down demons.

"Just one question," I said, turning to face him. "Back at the storage facility you didn't answer me. Why do all this? I mean, you got a chance of a good life, a future even. Why throw it all away for this?" I was expecting a backstory of how he came to hate demons, but instead I got this:

"If I don't do it…who will?"

He answered so simply and without any hesitation that it was my turn to be surprised. His voice and stance alone spoke volumes of the resolve he had and I could even feel the determination radiating off him. At the same time, the sun was starting to rise and a bit of sunlight poked through one of the gaps in the boarded windows, and landed right on him. It was like the heavens itself was giving him a spotlight and I could see as clear as day the resolution in his eyes.

And that was it. That was all it took for me to join his cause. A few years from now I'll still remember this memory fondly. The Vergil I knew back then was honest and so earnest…which is why I can't stop wondering how it all went wrong.


End file.
